Elevating unit positioning tool



April 30, 1957 J. A. CARRASCO El AL 2,790,566

ELEVA'IING UNIT POSITIONING TOOL v 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 John A. Carrasco Guillermo 6. Baumdn INVENTORS.

- Filed Dec. 10, 1953 April 30, 1957 J. A. CARRASCO ET AL 2,790,566

ELEVATING UNIT POSITIONING TOOL File d Dec. 10, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.2

John A Carrasco Guillermo 6. Bauman Fig 4 YINVENTOIRS United States Patent ELEVATING UNIT POSITIONING TOOL John A. Carrasco and Guillermo G. Bauman, Tucson, Ariz.

Application December 10, 1953, Serial No. 397,432

3 Claims. (Cl. 214-95) .This invention relates to a unit positioning tool and more specifically provides means for raising and lowering overhead units for positioning the same.

An object of this invention is to provide a unit positioning tool for temporary attachment to a unit for raising or lowering the unit to or from an overhead position.

Another object of this invention is to provide a unit positioning tool for raising and lowering an overhead heater or the like and specifically provides means for aligning the pipes for attachment to each other wherein the unit is supported.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a unit positioning tool which permits easy, rapid and convenient connection and disconnection of the unit with the overhead support conduits wherein the installation and removal of these overhead units are easily carried out.

Yet another important object of this invention is to provide a unit positioning tool which is simple in construction, easy to operate and inexpensive to manufacture.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view showing the unit positioning tool of this invention in operative position with the unit heater in its lowermost position;

Figure 2 is a top plan section taken substantially along section line 22 of Figure 1, showing details of attachment of the upper elongated bar;

Figure 3 is a transverse, top plan section taken substanially along section line 33 of Figure 1, showing details of attachment of the lower elongated bar;

Figure 4 is a vertical section taken substantially along section line 44 of Figure 1, showing details of the single pulley construction and attachment for one end of the flexible line; and

Figure 5 is a vertical section taken substantially along section line '55 of Figure 1, showing details of the adjustable members of the upper elongated bar.

Referring now specifically to Figure 1, it willbe seen that the numeral generally indicates the unit positioning tool of this invention for raising and lowering a unit 12 having coupling pipes 14 thereon which are adapted to be connected with overhead pipes 16 which are supported from an overhead support 18. The pipes 14 and 16 are connected by the usual pipe coupling 20 when the pipes 14 and 16 are brought into alignment by the unit positioning tool 10 of this invention.

The unit positioning tool 10 includes an upper elongated bar generally indicated by the numeral 22 and a lower elongated bar 24 with the upper bar 22 and the lower bar 24 each including a pair of members 26 with inner end portions arranged in side-by-side relation and Patented Apr. 30, 1957 each inner end portion being provided with a loop 28 surrounding the adjacent member 26 wherein the members 26 are slidable in relation to each other thereby making the elongated bars 22 and 24 adjustable in length. Each of the members 26 is provided with an elongated slot 30 and each of the slots 30 receives the threaded leg portions 32 of a U-shaped member 34 which extends around one of the pipes 16 or 14 and :fas'tening nuts 36 are secured to the threaded legs 32 for rigidly securing the elongated bars 22 and 24 to their respective pipes 16 and 14. The upper elongated bar is provided with rounded end portions having an aperture 38 for swivelly receiving a ring member 40. A U-shaped bracket 42 is secured in the ring-shaped member and rotata-bly receives a double pulley 44 on an laxl e 46. The lower 'bar 24 has a U-shaped member 48 welded or rigidly secured to the outer ends of the members 26 and a flat bar 50 is secured to the upper edge of each member 26 and closes the free end portions of the U-shaped member 48. The fiat bar 50 has an aperture 52 therein between the ends of the leg portions of the U-shaped member 48 for a purpose described hereinafter. An axle 54 positioned between the legs of the U-shaped member 48 rotatably supports a single pulley "56 therein, and it will be seen that a flexible line 58 has one end portion threaded through the aperture '52 in the plate 50 and knotted 'below the plate, as generally indicated by the numeral 60, wherein the line 58 is rigidly secured to the bottom elongated bar 24. The ilexible line '58 passes upwardly and over the double pulley 44 and thence downwardly and around the single pulley 56 and again upwardly and over the double pulley '44 to a free end portion 62 wherein the pulleys 56 and 44 may be moved relative to each other, thereby moving the bars 22 and 24 relative to each other andraising or lowering the unit 12.

When it is desired to lift a unit, such as a heating unit or a cooling unit, as indicated by the numeral 12, to a position overhead adjacent the ceiling of a room or to lower the unit from the ceiling to the floor of a room for replacement or repair, the elongated bars 22 and 24 are rigidly secured to the respective pipes 16 and 14 by employing the U-shaped members 34 and the clamping bolts 36 in an obvious manner. The lflexible line 58 is then passed over the pulleys in the obvious manner, and the free end portion 62 may be manipulated in order to raise or lower the unit 12 for bringing the pipes '14 and 16 into alignment wherein the coupling element-s 20 may be utilized to connect or disconnect the pipes 16' and 14. The unit positioning tool of this invention greatly facilitates the installation and removal of these relatively heavy units to and from an overhead position adjacent the ceiling of a room or the like. Further, it will be seen that the elongated bars 22 and 24 are relatively small in nature and easily carried in the plumbers truck or kit without taking up excess room. The elongated bars 22 and 24 obviate the use of the usual cumbersome platforms or the like used in installation of these units. The adjustable bars 22 and 24 permit the installation of various sized units, and the tool of this invention permits the installation of these units by a single person if it isnecessary, as the free end portion of the flexible line may be secured to some object to hold the heater 12 in adjusted position. Obviously, the elongated bars and the other elements of this invention may be constructed of readily obtainable and relatively cheap material wherein the minimum price may be reasonable, thereby enhancing the popularity of the tool in the trade. I

From the foregoing, the construction and operation of the device will be readily understood and further explanation is believed to be unnecessary. However, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, t al-ling within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A positioning tool for aligning units having projecting pipes thereon with overhead pipes for coupling the pipes comprising an elongated bar secured to and projecting laterally beyond said overhead pipes, an elongated bar secured to and projecting laterally beyond said unit pipes, and raising and lowering means'connece ing corresponding projecting ends of respective liars for raising and lowering said unit and pipes'in relation to said overhead pipes, each of said bars being provided with longitudinally spaced elongated slots, a U-shaped member having threaded leg ends projecting through each slot and surrounding a pipe, and fastening means onsaid legs for securing said bars to said pipes.

2. A positioning tool for raising and lowering heat exchanger units having projecting pipes in relation to overhead pipes comprising an elongated member adapted to be independently and rigidly clamped to an overhead pipe and projecting laterally therefrom, an elongated member adapted to be independently and rigidly clamped to a unit pipe and projecting laterally therefrom, and raising and lowering means interconnecting opposite end portions of said members for raising and lowering the heat exchanger unit in relation to the overhead pipes and maintaining the unit in a vertical plane.

3. A tool for positioning and raising and lowering a heat exchanger unit having a pair of upwardly extending pipes for attachment to depending overhead pipes with the pipes heing space-d equally for alignment, said tool comprising an elongated longitudinally freely adjusta ble strap member interconnecting each pair of pipes, each strap member having a longitudinal slot adjacent each end thereof, a U-shaped member encircling each pipe with the legs thereof extending through a slot, said leg being threaded for receiving clamp nuts thereby rigidly clamping the strap member against the pair of pipes, said strap member attached to the pipes on the unit having depending U-s-haped brackets attached to the ends thereof, a pulley supported in each bracket, a pulley supported from each end of the strap member on the overhead pipes, and a flexible line attached to each bracket and encircling aligned pulleys for raising and lowering the unit in a vertical plane.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 342,056 Vida May 18, 1886 1,405,056 McGowan Ian. 31, 1922 2,136,255 Scanl-on 'Nov. 8, 1938 2,585,993 *Bolek Feb. 19, 1952 2,715,473 Keck Aug. 16, 1955 

